BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper didn't just give a pep talk to the officers patrolling for celebratory gunfire New Year's Eve, the city's top cop got in on the action himself.

Roper and his partner for the night, Sgt. Otis Luke, were on patrol just after midnight when they spotted someone shooting a gun out of a vehicle's sunroof. Roper and Luke then conducted a high-risk traffic stop, said police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams Jr.

There were two men inside the vehicle. The driver, 18-year-old Brandon Daughtry, was arrested for violation of the state firearms act and discharging a weapon in the city limits. He also had five outstanding warrants for traffic violations.

Roper and Luke were part of more than 100 additional officers on the street New Year's Eve for Operation Crackdown. Between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 3 a.m., Birmingham police received 631 citizen reports of gunfire, and received 560 gunfire calls for service from the Shot-Spotter gunfire detection system. The Shot-Spotter system also logged 543 fireworks calls, according to the Birmingham police.

Roper has said he's serious about curbing the dangerous practice of celebratory gunfire, and more than happy to to be part of Operation Crackdown.

"It's always exciting and rewarding for me to work the streets with our officers,'' Roper said today. "The suspect was definitely surprised in getting handcuffed by the Chief of Police. It might give him bragging rights in jail."

Williams said the chief's participation is a boost for officers. "When you see your boss
leading the charge and executing the same tasks he ask you to perform,'' Williams said, "it
speaks volumes and gives you the extra drive to give the extra effort."